Cats Urinary Infection – Feline Urinary Tract Health and Maintenance
Cats and urinary infections go together far more often than the people paying the vet bill would like to think. Vets will often look at a symptom such as urinating outside the litter box, and conclude that the cat is experiencing a behavioral problem, possibly due to stress, and overlook the fact that there may be a medical problem at work.
The reality is that a cat’s urinary tract infection is more likely to be physiological rather than behavioral. The condition is one of a number of urinary problems, which can include obstruction in the urinary passage as well as bladder inflammation, more commonly known as FLUTD (Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease).
If you’ve ever experienced a UTI yourself, you’ll understand what your kitty is enduring. A cat’s urinary infection is just as unpleasant and painful as a human’s. It will help ease your cat’s discomfort if you familiarize yourself with the reasons for the condition and the basic rules of care when they are dealing with the condition.
Have you noticed how often your cat goes to the water bowl for a drink? Not very often, right? There’s a reason for that. Cats originated in areas that were hot, arid, and desert-like. Through evolution, they became capable of extracting the necessary liquids from their prey. The animals they hunted gave them most of the fluids they needed to stay healthy, making finding an alternate water source of less importance. As this instinct is still predominant in them today, the result is a rise in occurrence of typical cat’s urinary infections.
Your veterinarian will treat your cat’s urinary infection specifically based on a review of such tests as a urinalysis. But you can cut back drastically on vet fees and keep your cat’s urinary tract in good health by following these time-tested methods of prevention.
1. water is the most important thing.
Using clean, hot water, wash your cat’s water bowl – daily. If you use soap, make certain the bowl is thoroughly rinsed to prevent any harm as a result of the chemicals in the detergent.
Make finding water easy for your cat. Put a number of water bowls around the house, and make them big enough that your cat can drink from them without their whiskers touching the sides.
For a little extra money, you can purchase a free flowing water drinking fountain. Cats are intrigued by water that moves, and may be encouraged to drink.
If you can afford it, invest in a free flowing water drinking fountain. Cats love moving water and their curiosity may encourage them to imbibe.
2. Don’t feed your kitty foods that contain a high magnesium content. This includes pork, heart, beef and oily fish.
3. Select foods that are natural, rather than prescription diets. Buy organic when possible. consult your vet to be certain the food you give your cat will create the proper pH level in their urine.
4. Once a day, add a tablespoon of vinegar to the water. Doing this will help keep kitty’s urine pH a bit acidic, and aid in the prevention of bladder stones. Bladder stones are often the reason for your cat’s urinary infections.
An ounce of prevention now saves you a pound of cure later. You can help your cat live longer, healthier and happier by following these basic rules to maintaining their urinary tract health.
